Noise eliminator for lever action of grand pianos



Oct. 17, 1 939.

NOISE J. TUSTY. SR 2,176,648

ELIMINATOR FOR LEVER ACTION OF GRAND PIANOS Filed Jan. 17, I938 I r Fr- I u I Q I Patented Oct. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES NOISE ELIMINATOR FOR LEVER ACTION OF GRAND PIANOS Julius Tusty, Sr., New York, N. Y.

Application January 17, 1938, Serial No. 185,253

3 Claims.

This invention relates broadly to control devices for piano actions, and especially to a control device for the lever action of grand pianos, and to means for eliminating noises caused by such device.

The prime object of my invention is to provide, in connection with a lever for shifting piano actions of grand pianos, means whereby the lever portion engaging the support of the piano action will be constantly in operative engagement with said support.

Another object of my invention is to provide, with a lever end engaging the support of the piano action of grand pianos, resilient means for constantly keeping said lever portion in forcible, tensional engagement with said support, in order to eliminate noises resulting from the operation of this lever portion.

The foregoing and still further objects and advantages of my invention will become more fully apparent from the ensuing description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, which latter, although shown in a more or less diagrammatical form, is intended for explanatory purposes only, without limiting my invention to the actual showing, and in which drawing Fig. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a piano action support and its operating mechanism, the latter in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken on lines 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of a portion of the piano action support, showing the operating slot, and the action operating lever, including my improvements, engaging the slot.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of my improved device in its preferred form.

Fig. 5 is a top view thereof, and

Fig. 6 shows a top View of a modified form of my device.

Referring now specifically to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, numeral iii denotes a support for the piano action, which latter is indicated at H in Fig. 2. This piano action support is preferably provided at its bottom with friction reducing means l2, resting against a friction reducing rail l3 embedded in the housing M of the piano. The long sides of support l are preferably guided by a rear wall l and by a removable front wall It. Action support It is normally held under tension by a spring H which bears against one of the end members l8 of the piano frame work. By means of this spring IT, support In is held under tension against a side member opposite member l8, which opposite side member is not illustrated.

At the bottom face of support Ill, there is provided at the far side thereof, a slot l9 which is adapted to accommodate the head of lever portion 2|! of what is known as grand lever 2|, which latter is pivoted at 22.

Lever portion or lever member 20 is plainly illustrated in Fig. 4; it will be seen that this lever portion is provided at its upper end with an enlargement or head 23, adapted to engage the right-hand face (looking at Fig. 1) of slot I9, 10 and to move action support ID in right-hand direction, when the lever is operated. The shifting of the support, and thereby of the entire action of the grand piano, is required for the purpose of playing pianissimo. In order to thus shift the action, the left-hand pedal of the piano, with which all grands are provided, is depressed. Such pedal is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig.

1, and is indicated at 24.

The pedal is pivoted at and will lift, when 20 depressed, an action rod 26 which is suitably guided (not shown) so as to engage a flat enlargement 21 of grand lever 2|.

By the upward movement of rod 26, grand lever end 2'! is lifted, and causes lever portion 5 2!] to swing to the right. The swinging movement of lever portion 2!! causes the shift of action support 36, whereby the hammers (not shown) of the piano action are shifted about one-eighth of an inch. The hammers, when played while pedal 30 24 is depressed, will strike only two strings, out of every tone group of three strings, of the upper register, and only one string, out of each tone group of two strings, of the middle re ister. Such shift, however, does not bring out of operating 5 proximity the hammers of the piano actions opposite the single strings of the lowest register, except that in some pianos, the shifting of the action causes the hammers to strike these single strings somewhat to one side, with the intention of producing a tone of lesser volume or strength.

In new grand pianos, the co-actionbetween spring ll, engaging the action support, and the arrangement of pedal 2 rod 26 and lever 2|, is designed to normally maintain contact between head 23 of lever portion 20 and the right-hand side or wall of slot I9. After continuous use of these instrumentalities, it will occur that head 23 will gradually recede from its normal, intended wall-contacting position, and will assume a position away from the right-hand wall of slot l9. This will cause an idling movement. When pedal 24 is actuated, lever 2| will cause head 23 to first idly move towards the right-hand wall of slot I9. When head 23 finally contacts the wall,

this will result in an audible, interfering noise. In order to overcome this most annoying noise, I provide in connection with head 23, a spring member 28, which is provided at one end with a short head-engaging leg 29, two rounded ends, a connecting portion 30, which latter preferably conforms with the contour of head 23, and a free extension 3! which is adapted to constantly contact with the left-hand wall or side of slot l9, and is designed to maintain an abutting contact between the right-hand face of head 23 and the right-hand wall of slot IS.

The construction of the spring member 28 is clearly illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. Since the right-hand face of head 23 of the lever is constantly held under tension against the righthand wall of slot 59, when lever portion 20 is actuated, by way of pedal 24, no abutting noise can occur,

Spring 28 is preferably so constructed and arranged that it will forcibly engage all faces of head 23 when pressed over the latter into the position shown in Fig. 5. In the event, however, there should occur a formation of small spaces between head 23 and spring member 28, such as illustrated in Fig. 6, I prefer to fill in the spaces, marked S, by means of lead or any other substance so as to preclude any contactor operating-noises which may be caused by the looseness of spring 28.

From Fig. 3 it will be clearly observed that the end portions 32 of slot [9 are flaring towards the back side of support it These flaring ends 32 of the siots are provided for the purpose of permitting a gradual engagement by the slot of the spring-equipped head 23 when the action support is inserted into its intended position shown in Fig. 2.

It will be also observed that that curved portion of spring 28 from which extends free end 35 must be directed toward the front of the piano, (or the closed end of slot [9), so as to facilitate the insertion of support 10, and the gradual compression of free spring end 3|.

While I have illustrated in the accompanying drawing only two specific forms of my invention, it is quite obvious that any other suitable means may be substituted, which will effectively urge lever head 23 against, and maintain it in contact with one of the walls of slot 19 at all times, and which will prevent any free movement of lever portion 28, or its head 23, within slot [9 at all times, and which will effectively prevent operating noises, occurring normally through wear and tear of the instrumentalities for momentarily or temporarily shifting the grand piano action to a pianissimo position. I therefore reserve for myself the right to make such substitutions, changes or improvements in the present invention which will accomplish the aforesaid results, without departing from the broad scope of my invention as defined in the annexed claim:

I claim:

1. In a mechanism for shifting the action of grand pianos by Way of the action support, a recess or slot provided in the latter for accommodating the actuating end of said mechanism, a pedal operated lever having an extension terminating in a flat, broad head and constituting the actuating end of the mechanism, said head extending into said recess or slot of the action support, a leaf spring looped partially about the head and having a portion extending away from the head, said spring being of suflicient strength and being so constructed and arranged as to constantly force one face of the head against one wall of the recesses or slot, while the extending spring portion constantly bears against the opposite wall of the recess or slot, thereby preventing any play of the head within the recess or slot in any direction in respect to the walls of the latter, which results in the elimination of contact noises.

2. The combination with an action support having a slot for accommodating the actuating end of an action shifting mechanism, of a flat, broad head equipped with a leaf spring and forming the terminus of the actuating end of said mechanism, said head being disposed within the slot provided in said action support, said leaf spring forcibly engaging the ends of the head and having a free extension in forcible contact with one wall of said slot, said extension forcibly urging said head into permanent contact with the opposite wall of the slot, whereby a free movement of the head within the slot is effectively prevented for the purpose of elimi nating contact noises.

3. In an action shifting mechanism, an actuating lever terminating in an elongated, broad head adapted to extend into a slot provided in the action support, a leaf spring secured to the upper end of the head and provided with a free extension adapted to forcibly bear against one Wall of the slot and simultaneously forcibly urge the head into permanent contact with the opposite wall of the slot, thereby effectively preventing the head from moving in respect to the slot for the purpose of eliminating contact noises.

JULIUS TUSTY, SR. 

